Tank outlet-valve.



UNITED STATES EETCE.

PATENT CORNELIUS BIRKERY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE BIRKERY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

TAN K OUTLET-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION fornljng part Of Letters Patent N0. 635,461, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed January 27, 1899. Serial N0. 703.613. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS BIRKEEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tank Outlet-Valves, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a slow-closingoutlet-valve for water-closet-iiushing tanks.

The object of the invention is the production of a simple, durable, and reliable valve which opens widely and acts so slowlyin closing that a large volume of water can flow noiselessly from the tank in which the valve is located for iiushing and thoroughly cleaning the closet-bowl, and then just before the valve shuts tightly a sufficient quantity of water can flow to fill the bowl to the desired level.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings has a valve-seat, a cup that is filled with water when the tank is lled supported above the seat, a iioat movable up and down in the cup as the level of the water therein changes, a valve movable toward and from the seat, a catch arranged between a part of the valve and a part of the iioat in such manner that these parts become connected when the valve is lifted and move downwardly together, anda trip which at the proper time causes the disengagement of the catch and the release of the valve from the float, leaving the former free'to gravitate to its seat and the latter to be raised to its normal position.

Figure 1 of the views shows a plan o f this outlet-valve. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of the valve in its closed position.

the valve open; and Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the upper ends of the tubular valveshank, tubular guide, and tubular float-stem.

The valve-seat 1 is adapted to be secured by the usual means to the bottom of any ordinary water-closet-iiushing tank provided with the customary ball-cock. A cup 2 is supported a suitable distance above the valveseat by legs 3. This cup can be formed to the most convenient' shape of copper, and it Fifr. 3k shows a vertical section taken on the plrane` indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 1 withL is provided with an outlet 4, the capacity of which may be regulated by the screw 5. A tube 6 is secured to the inside of the cup concentric with the outlet through the valveseat, and guided by this tube is the tubular shank 7 of the valve 8. This shank loosely ts the fixed tube 6 and at the upper end is provided with a cross-bar9 and a stud 10 for the connection of the valve-lifting means.

'Loosely held by the stud at the upper end of the tubular valve-shank is a perforated metal disk or cap 11, which rests upon and closes the opening through the shank when the valve is lifted and also when the valve is descending.

Pivoted between ears 12, projecting from one side of the valve-shank, is a catch-pawl 13 and a pawl-lever 14, that engages the pawl. This leverhas a inger 15,that extends through a slot in a tripping-post 16, which when the set-screw 17 is loosened may be adjusted vertically.

Loosely fitting the outside of the fixed cuptube 6 is the tubular stem 18, that is attached to the ioat 19, arranged to rise and fall as the level of the water in the cup varies. The

iioat-stem 18 is provided with a catch-shoulder 2O and with overfiow-perforations 21. A slot 22 is made through the float-stem, so that its end will engage with a lug 225, projecting from the cup-tube G for limiting the upward movement of the float, and a slot 24 is made through the iioat-stem and through the cuptube, so that the valve can move downwardly when the iioat settles in the cup. As the outlet of the cup is very small, water will flow through it quite slowly. The parts are, however, so proportioned that at the time the desired quantity of water has iiowed from the tank for properly ushing the closet the iinger on the pawl-lever will engage the end of the slot in the tripping-post and be held in such manner that further lowering of the iioat causes the catch-pawl to be disengaged from the catch-shoulder. When the catch is released, the valve is free to drop to its seat and close the outlet so the tank will again fill with water.

The outlet of the cup is so adjusted that the ioat is not permittedto settle down sufficiently for the pawl to become disengaged from the shoulder until nearly all of the water has liowed from the tank for iushing the closet, The tripping-post is adjusted to release the pawl from the shoulder and allow the valve to drop to its seat only after the main rush has ceased and a sufcient quantity of water has followed to fill the closetbowl toits normal capacity. Vith this arrangement the valve is held up and slowly lowered almost to its seat by the float, and then after the rush and suction have ceased and a sufficient amount of water has flowed to provide a suitable afterwash the valve is allowed to drop to its seat b v gravity.

By adjusting the area of the outlet from the cup the speed of descending of the Iioat and 'valve is determined, and by regulating the height of the tripping-post the distance of drop of the valve is fixed. The stem of the float when elevated holds the cap lifted away from the top of the tubular valve-shank, so that when the water reaches the top of the valve-shank it will escape through the valveshank and not overflow the tank.

Then the valve is lifted and water begins to flow out, the cap is raised by the end of the valve-shank from the float-stem, so as to close the opening through the valve and prevent the suction of air through the valve. As the float is elevated by the infiowing water after the valve is shut the cap is again raised by the float-stem to open the overflow through the valve-shank.

This outlet-valve is particularly adapted fora low-down closet-that is, a closet having a tank but little above the top of the bowl-for a very large supply of water can be quickly emptied from the tank in which this valve is placed into the bowl. XVith the outlet from the cup correctly adjusted this valve permits a sufficient iiow of water to the ordinary siphon wash-down closet to cause three distinct siphons from the bowls at each emptying of the tank and then fills the bowls properly with an afterwash. The closing by the cap of the openingthrough the valve when the water is passing out from the tank prevents air from being drawn down and causing a noise, and as the outlet is large and the valve is held above the suction until most of the water is run out from the tank no noise results from the suction.

I claim as my inventionl. A tank outlet-valve having a cup with a restricted outlet, a iioat within the cup, a vertically-movable valve, acatch arranged to engage between a part of the fioat and a part of the valve when the latter is lifted, in such manner that the float and valve settle downwardly together as the water flows from the cup through the restricted outlet, and a trip for disengaging the catch and releasing the valve from the float as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, substantially as specified.

2. A tank outlet-valve having a valve-seat,

a cup with a restricted outlet, a float within the cup, a valve movable toward and from the seat, a catch arranged to engage between a part of the float and a part of the Valve, when the latter is drawn away from the seat, in such manner that the float and valve move toward the seat together as water flows from the cup through the restricted outlet, and a trip for disengaging the catch and releasing the valve from the float as the valve' approaches the seat, substantially as specified.

S. A tank outlet-valve having a cup with a restricted outlet, a fioat within the cup, a catch-shoulder formed on a part of the float, a vertically movable valve, a catch pawl mounted upon a part of the valve in position to engage the catch-shoulder when the valve is lifted, in such manner that the float and valve settle downwardly together as water flows from the cup through the restricted outlet, and a trip for disengaging the catch-pawl from the catch-shoulder as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, substantially as specified.

4. A tank outlet-valve having a cup with a restricted outlet, a float within the cup, a vertically-movable tubular valve, a catch-lever arranged to engage between a part of the float and a part of the valve when the latter is lifted, iu such manner that the float and valve settle downwardly together as water flows from the cup through the restricted outlet, a trip for disengaging the catch and releasing the valve from the float as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, and a cap resting upon and covering the opening through the tubular valve when the valve is raised, and supported by the float above the end of the tubular valve when the float is lifted and the valve is closed, substantially as specified.

5. A tank outlet-valve having a cup with an outlet,means foradjusting the area of the cupoutlet, a iioat within the cup,a vertically-movable valve, a catch arranged to engage between a part of the float and a part of the valve when the latter is lifted, in such manner that the float and valve settle downwardly together as water flows from the cup through the adjustable outlet, a trip for disengaging the catch and releasing the valve from the iioat as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, and means for adjusting the trip, substantially as specified.

G. A tank outlet-valve having acup with a IOO IIO

restricted outlet, a iioat within the cup, a eatch- I shoulder formed on a part of the float, a vertically-movable valve, a catch-pawl mounted upon a part of the valve in position to engage the catch-shoulder when the valve is lifted, in such manner that the iioat and valve settle downwardly together as water fiows from the cup through the restricted outlet, a pawl-lever mounted upon a part of the valve and loosely engaging the catch-pawl, a finger projecting from the pawl-lever, and a trip for engaging the linger and disengaging the catch-pawl from the catch-sho ulder as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, substantially as specified.

7. A tank outlet-valve having a cup with a restricted outlet, 4a float with an opening through it within the cup, a vertically-movable valve extending through the opening through the float, a catch arranged to engage between a part of the loat and a partof the valve when the latter is lifted, in such uranner that the oat and valve settle downwardly together as water Iiows from the cup through the restricted outlet, and a trip for disengagin g the catch and releasing the valve from the float as the valve nears the end of its downward movement, substantially as specified.

8. A tank outlet-valve havinga cup with a restricted outlet and an upwardly-extending as specified.

CORNELIUS BIRKERY. Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, E. J. HYDE. 

